Local Governors Throw a Wrench Into Reactor Restart Works

A week after publicly endorsing the controversial restart of two nuclear reactors, two governors from western Japan appeared before the press again Wednesday—this time to show they weren’t meekly accepting the restart decision after all.

Shiga Governor Yukiko Kada and Kyoto Governor Keiji Yamada were among nine Japanese governors and mayors who signed a joint statement on May 30 to support a “provisional” restart of two reactors at the Oi nuclear plant in western Japan.

Associated Press

Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Oi nuclear power station in western Japan.

Ms. Kada said that move sparked a loud chorus of boos from her supporters for “betraying their trust,” according to local media reports. The two had previously said the government should proceed more cautiously with restarts.

The Oi units, which supply power to the Osaka area, would be the first of the country’s 50 reactors to come back online after the nuclear accident in Fukushima last year. Most of those reactors went offline for routine maintenance and have stayed off amid concerns about safety.

On Wednesday, Ms. Kada and Mr. Yamada issued a joint statement demanding that any restart be temporary, that a roadmap for phasing out nuclear power be laid out, and that the government disclose real-time projections of potential radiation dispersal should an accident happen at Oi.

At a joint press conference, Mr. Yamada said he wasn’t offering an apology for having signed the statement, but added that “there are still unresolved issues.”

“I’m not going to give any excuse about having signed the statement. I’ve just wanted to say that my long-term view hasn’t changed at all,” said Ms. Kada.

Some Japanese officials told JRT they were upset by the developments and fear that the restarts could be bogged down again.

The governors’ demand that the reactors be shut off again after the summer energy crunch is over puts the national government in an awkward position. That’s because the government has another reason for wanting the reactors to stay on, experts and officials say. Without nuclear power, which previously comprised 30% of the country’s electricity supply, Japan’s utilities could start losing money, since they’ll have to use expensive fossil fuels for power generation.

Toshiyuki Tanaka, assembly leader of the plant’s host community, Fukui Prefecture, told JRT he had this advice to offer: “The government shouldn’t waver. They should just proceed with the restart.”

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